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ONLY LOVE
by
Victoria H. Smith and Raven St. Pierre
CHAPTER ONE
Aubrey
The
heavy wooden door slammed against the frame instead of latching. Like
everything else in the building, it was broken and probably would be for
several months—maybe even longer. Repositioning the eight grocery bags in my
hands, I prepared my mind to climb four flights of stairs, because, you guessed
it, the elevator was broken, too.
Over the loud rumble of bass streaming from
apartment 4A, and over the blaring television in 4C, I heard my daughter’s
shrill cry as soon as I reached our hallway. That sound, her wailing like she
was in a horror movie, had been my soundtrack for the past two weeks—she
started teething again.
I
fumbled with the keys, wanting nothing more than to get inside and pass out
across my bed, but of course that wasn’t the way the evening would go. As if
mocking me, my keys slipped from my numb fingers, which were awkwardly locked around
the handles of my grocery bags. A long, frustrated sigh hissed from between my
lips, and I crouched down to scoop them up, but halted when a deep, unfamiliar
voice called out from behind me.
“Hang
on. Let me get those for you.”
An arm
covered in a thin layer of dark hair stretched to the floor and retrieved my fallen
keys, gently placing them in my hand again. After accepting, I rested my eyes
on the last person in this entire building I’d ever expect to help me—the cop
who’d been assigned to live in our building to “babysit” my neighbors and myself.
Rumor had it that he was supposed to be here to make us feel safer, but the
city wasn’t fooling us. He was here to spy and report back. A snitch, if you
will.
Giving
him the side-eye, I looked him over. I’d seen him before, but had never allowed
myself to really look at him until
now, making this the first time I’d acknowledged he was attractive. And he
definitely was. Being so close, there were a number of things I was able to
take in for the first time—how blue his eyes were, his height, and the size of
his arms. They were toned and defined just like the rest of his physique from
what I could see through the material of his t-shirt and jeans. He wore a kind
expression that caught me off guard, too. The look made his already handsome
face even more so, drawing my attention to his lips and the slight cleft in his
chin when a smile touched his mouth.
“I can
take these,” he offered.
Before
I could even protest, my left hand was relieved of the bags it cradled. Then
the right was freed, too. He managed them with ease while I stood there,
staring instead of unlocking the door. It was Marissa’s cry that pulled me from
my thoughts. It seemed like she’d gotten louder in just the few seconds I’d
been standing there. The moment I crossed the threshold, her eyes darted toward
me—eyes I felt like I’d been staring into for most of my life. Her father’s eyes.
Gabby,
my go-to sitter, quickly handed her off to me, and Marissa squeezed her tiny
arms around my neck. She was a little feverish again and her tear-soaked cheek
pressed against mine as she latched on. As my concern for her grew, I became
less aware of the stranger standing behind me in the doorway, holding the bags
of food.
“She’s
been screaming nonstop for the past hour. I didn’t want to bother you in class,
but I didn’t know what to do.” From the look on Gabby’s face, it was safe to
say that Marissa had really put her through the wringer. Snacks were littered across
the coffee table and almost every single toy I’d ever purchased was scattered
about the living room. Clearly, Gabby had pulled out all the stops and nothing
was working.
“I gave
her the medicine on time and tried to get her to take that teething ring, but I
think it might have irritated her gums even more,” Gabby continued to explain.
I
placed a hand on her arm, letting her know I knew she’d done all she could. “It’s
not your fault, Sweetie.”
Relieved,
Gabby’s eyes shifted toward the door and it wasn’t until then that I noticed the
man who’d kind of rescued me a moment ago. He hesitated for a fraction of a
second when our eyes locked, and then without waiting for an invitation, he
entered my apartment and took my groceries to the kitchen counter.
“What’s
he doing here?” Gabby mouthed silently.
My only
response was to shake my head. Truthfully, I
wasn’t really sure what he was doing here either; he could’ve dropped my bags
at the door and left as far as I was concerned.
I bounced
Marissa and rubbed her back, which soothed her a little—at least enough to
allow me to now gather my thoughts to speak to Gabby. “You get your homework
done?”
She
shook her head, and I immediately felt guilty, knowing Marissa’s fussiness was
to blame. I reached into my back pocket and took out the ten-dollar bill I had
there. When I shoved it in the front pocket of Gabby’s backpack resting on the
arm of the couch, she started to object, but didn’t when she saw the stern look
on my face. She hated that I paid her, but knew I wouldn’t have it any other
way. She’d been there for me more than my own family had, saved me more times
than I could count when I didn’t have anyone else to babysit.
“Thanks,”
she finally conceded. Situating the straps on her shoulders, she leaned in. “Night,
Rissa. Feel better,” she said before kissing my daughter on the forehead over
my shoulder.
“See
you in the morning,” I called out just as she stepped into the hallway and
disappeared.
A tall
figure emerged from the dimly lit kitchen and cast a shadow just in front of my
television. Reluctantly, and a little bit confused, I looked up at the officer
who somehow ended up inside my personal space. I noted again how handsome he
was—those eyes, those lips, his large, toned arms; however, his looks didn’t
overshadow the fact that he was unwelcomed in this building, and especially in my apartment.
“Thanks
for your help, but you didn’t have to bring my things in. I could’ve handled
it,” I informed him, not wanting to give him the impression that his kind gesture
changed my views of what he represented.
My cold
tone seemed to go in one ear and out the other when he spoke. “She teething?”
he asked casually, removing his hand from the pocket of his light-denim jeans
just long enough to point toward Marissa.
Still
working to settle her, I only nodded to confirm.
He took
a step closer and my eyes shifted down to his feet, sending out a silent
warning for him to keep his distance. When he didn’t come closer, I assumed he
got the hint.
“I
heard your sitter mention that she wouldn’t take the teething ring. If her gums
are sore, she probably won’t,” he added.
I said
nothing. Instead, I just stared, wondering where he was going with all this.
“Try
wetting one of her washcloths and sticking it in the freezer for a bit. Thirty
to forty minutes tops. The cold will relieve some of the throbbing, and it’s
softer than those hard rings you get at the store.”
I
rubbed Marissa’s back, but still didn’t acknowledge his advice.
“Do you
have any small sandwich bags?” he asked. “If not, I think I have some I could
grab for you if—”
“I have
some,” I said sharply, causing him to purse his lips.
He
stared.
I
stared.
“So,
yeah… just try that. Or don’t. Totally up to you,” he added under his breath, turning
his back toward me when my cold disposition sent him scrambling for an exit.
It only
took a fraction of a second for me to feel bad. Regardless of what I thought
about his occupation and his assignment here in this building, he’d been kind
to me tonight. And as much as I wanted him to feel as uncomfortable as the
residents in this building feel, as much as I wanted to dislike him, I found it
strangely difficult to stick to any of that with him standing here. At the
moment, he wasn’t just the officer assigned to live in one of the most
crime-ridden neighborhoods in Detroit. He became human. Just a guy helping a
girl with her groceries and her crying baby.
“Hold
up.”
He
halted at the sound of my voice and turned to stare with those baby blues,
causing me to hesitate when I again noted how beautiful they were.
“Thank
you. You know, for the groceries… and for the advice,” I blurted.
A
gracious smile tugged at one corner of his mouth, and I found myself liking
that particular expression almost as much as I liked his eyes.
“You’re
welcome. I hope that trick works out for you. Both of you,” he added when Marissa stopped crying long enough to notice
him. The officer gave her a small wave and grinned her way. To my surprise, she
smiled back, despite the fact that she still had fresh tears in her eyes.
“And if
you need anything, I’m only one floor up. 5C,” he offered, despite the fact
that I hadn’t asked.
I
nodded. “Thanks again.”
“No
problem. Name’s Adam, by the way.”
His
hand extended toward me, and I wasn’t sure if I should shake it or not. Marissa,
now silent and still clinging to my neck, stared at Adam long and hard just
like I did.
Finally,
trying to hide my skepticism, I returned the gesture. “Aubrey.”
Adam
smirked a bit as I softened up. His hands were cool to the touch, and soft, but
not too soft. Despite the strength I was positive those hands held, his grip on
mine was surprisingly gentle.
No
other words were spoken as he left me to my usual nightly routine of dinner,
bathing Marissa, and then bed. While she ate, I took one of her cloths from the
basket of unfolded laundry and did the steps Adam had recited, fully believing
in my heart it was all for nothing. None of the pain relievers had done a
thing, so certainly there was no way something this simple would solve the
problem.
I went
about my night as usual, and when I was done, I retrieved the cloth from the
freezer just before trying to lay Marissa in her crib.
“We’re
gonna try something new tonight,” I said to her as I shut off the lights in the
apartment on the way to her bedroom, balancing her small body on my hip. She
sniffed back a few tears, and I was already dreading the process of trying to
get her to bed. What used to take about twenty minutes, now took a couple
hours, which meant I was missing out on quite a bit of sleep by the end of the
week.
Sitting
in the mauve recliner in the corner of Marissa’s bedroom, I handed her the
semi-frozen cloth, watching her inspect it in her tiny hands like I knew she
would. She never just made things easy. In that way, she was a lot like her
father.
I
watched with an air of skepticism as she took the cloth to her lips and
eventually began to squeeze it between her sore gums on the side where the new
tooth was trying to come through. Instantly, I saw a change in her demeanor. She
relaxed in my arms and rested her head against my chest. The tears that
threatened to spill a moment ago were now dry, and for the first time in days,
I had a glimmer of hope that I’d get to bed at a decent hour.
Within
fifteen minutes, she had taken her medicine to keep the pain away throughout
the night and drifted off in my arms. She didn’t even stir when I put her down
in her crib. I stood there in her doorway, amazed at how well Adam’s technique
had worked. Now I had yet another reason to thank him.
With
the extra time before bed, I took to the computer to check my email. There was
a sinking feeling in my stomach as my eyes lingered on the first name I came
across—Javier Ruiz. A lifetime of memories, both good and bad, flooded my mind. I stared at the screen and swiped away
the single tear that fell, missing him and secretly being grateful for the
distance all at the same time. Knowing whatever this message said would rob me
of the peaceful night I thought I’d have, I opened and read its contents.
‘Babe… I’ve been trying to call all day. Yesterday,
too. Something’s up and I hate that I’m too far away to talk to you face to
face. I don’t know what’s gone down in the last couple months, but I see it. Hear
it in your voice. Feel it through the phone. Half the time, you don’t pick up
when I call, and when you do, all you want to talk about is Rissa. Not how
you’ve been handling things on your own. Not about work or school. Not about
how much you miss me. None of that. I mean, I know it’s hard with the distance
and everything, but this feels like more than that. I’m gonna hit you up
tomorrow at around 10 a.m. your time. Please, please pick up. We need to talk.
Kiss
my baby and tell her Daddy misses her like crazy.
Love
you,
Javi
***
The
plate of eggs had just hit the table when Gabby breezed through my door. I left
it unlocked every morning just for her.
“Pancakes?”
she asked, wearing an infectious smile.
“Nope. The
usual. I’m running a bit behind today.” I didn’t explain that the reason my
routine was lagging was because I’d slept through my alarm after lying awake
half the night. Reading Javi’s letter affected much in the way I predicted it
would.
“Speaking
of running late,” I said sarcastically, glancing at the clock on the kitchen
wall. She should’ve been here ten minutes ago by my calculation.
“Had to
make my morning rounds,” Gabby answered. “Gotta make that money,” she said,
referencing her side hustle, which consisted of her buying up candy at the
liquor store and reselling it for double the price to people in the
neighborhood. It was illegal, but I didn’t mess with her too much about it
because there were definitely worse things she could be getting into at the age
of fifteen.
“I even
went to the cop’s place,” she mentioned casually, reaching for the strawberry
jelly.
I
glanced at her, but hid that I was intrigued, mostly wondering if she knew
she’d just walked her illegal business right up to the law’s door—literally.
“And he
didn’t slap a pair of cuffs on you and haul you down to the precinct? Shocking,”
I said, unable to hide my distaste for law enforcement. Their impact on this
neighborhood in particular had left a bad taste in my mouth.
“I
don’t think he’s like that,” Gabby replied with a mouthful of toast. Marissa
giggled at the sight of it.
“Yeah,
right. They’re all like that.”
Gabby
shook her head in protest, but continued eating of course. “Nah, he even bought
a couple candy bars from me—thanked me and said that was the closest thing he’d
had to breakfast all week.”
I
pretended to only be moderately interested in her interaction with Adam, but
probably wasn’t playing it off very well. “What else did he say?” I asked.
She didn’t make eye contact, but smirked. “Nothing,
but I think you should invite him down to eat with us.” She eyed the spread. “I
mean, I could definitely eat all this food, but only because it’s here. There’s
enough to make him a plate.”
Her suggestion rang in my head as I toyed with
the idea.
“Besides, he was really nice last night. Brought
your bags in and put the groceries away and everything.”
I burst out laughing. “That man did not put my
groceries away. Quit exaggerating.”
She grinned while biting down on a piece of bacon.
Her eyes softened, and I tried not to let the expression get to me. “Still, he
was nice. Not a whole lot of that going on around here.”
She didn’t know it yet because my face was still
blank, but she broke me. She’d made several good points, and I was out of
excuses to give for not feeding a man who was about to go to work with nothing in
his stomach but pure sugar.
When I set my fork down, Gabby eyed me.
“Watch Rissa for a sec,” I said as I stood from
my seat. Without even looking Gabby’s way, I knew she was cheesing.
I wasn’t even sure this was a good idea just
yet, but I’d already committed to extending this invitation. So, whether Adam
accepted or not, I was going to offer him a semblance of gratitude for his
kindness the night before. Hopefully I wouldn’t regret it later.
Adam
Zipping up my bag of gear for
today’s shift, the light tap, tap, tap at my door got my sudden
attention. The candy bar I had lodged in between my teeth dropped from my mouth
and into my palm as I turned my head to the door. Visitors were pretty scarce
around my place, so the knock caught me off guard. Although, I was already
running late this morning, which also had me a bit off kilter.
The knock hit again and my gaze shifted over to the wall clock
hanging up in my apartment’s kitchen. I sucked in a breath upon realizing the
time. I still had my morning rounds to do of the complex before heading into
work. I normally didn’t do this late thing, but I was up past one last night
looking at pictures. I guess I couldn’t help it and knew it would be a bad
idea. It was a bad idea because doing so nearly made me have to pick up the
phone and call my sponsor. Those two things usually went hand and hand. Those
pictures and drinking. I hadn’t been that close in a while. I got it together,
though. I got it together.
Letting out a breath, I shoved my candy bar into the pocket on my
shirt uniform while I buttoned up the last few buttons. I normally got dressed
at the precinct, but on the mornings I decided to do rounds of the apartment, I
did so in uniform to make myself look official. I didn’t like intimidating
people, but my chief advised it when I made rounds. I appeased him but not all
the time. I usually did in the mornings as more people were up and around, but
at night I kept it easy by wearing jeans and t-shirts mostly. These people were
at home. They didn’t need a constant reminder of the law more than there
already was. What, with me living here and all.
I made it to the door and unlocked it without looking, figuring it
was one of two people. Option A was a neighbor complaining about another and
wanting me to do something about it. I got a handful of those since I moved in
a couple weeks ago. Usually folks avoided me like the plague, but if they
needed something, they came by. I welcomed that seeing as that was my job. To
protect and serve. The other option, B, was one of my moms.
Cringing as I turned the knob, I hoped it was the former. A
neighbor complaint could be dealt with quickly. A worried mom (times two)
couldn’t be. I heard no end of the dangers of taking this position by living
here from my mom and her partner of twenty years since I told them I’d be
moving into this neighborhood for my job. This new living arrangement offered
not only cheap rent but also respect from my boss. Two things I couldn’t pass
up. Tell that to my moms though. They came by before the last moving box hit
the apartment floor. It took forever to get them out the last time.
Cracking the door, the visitor fortunately wasn’t them, and I
widened it, blinking in surprise at the dark eyes, heart-shaped face, and long
curls coiled tightly as they rested on her shoulders. They left tiny droplets
of water on the tops of them, dotting her cinnamon-brown skin. She must have
just showered; a scent, feminine and sweet, suddenly wafting through the air of
the normally musty apartment complex let me know that.
Dampening my mouth, I stood tall, forgetting myself and my manners
by not greeting her. “Aubrey. Hi. Good seeing you again.”
I had to admit, she was the last person I thought would make her
way up here. I always knew when folks wanted to be left alone. That came with
the job and she had definitely been in that category when we spoke last night.
She didn’t say anything. Her damp shoulders suddenly went tight,
her body stiff, and when she wouldn’t look at my eyes, her gaze targeting lower
to what I wore, I knew she wasn’t seeing anything but the uniform.
I internally cursed at my choice not to dress at the precinct this
morning. My voice did cause her to look up though, long lashes flashing up in
my direction. She cleared her throat. “Hi, Officer…” Her eyes drifted to my
name badge. I internally cursed again. “Holloway. Likewise.”
She said this, but I knew she didn’t feel the same. That it was
actually a good thing to see me again. Even if she hadn’t suddenly
addressed me formally, her body language spoke of her true feelings. Last night
she had her guard up. This morning, though? Something like Fort Knox came to
mind.
I stepped forward a bit, but kept a fair distance from her. I
wanted her know I was approachable but didn’t want to intimidate her. Pushing
my hands into my pockets, I smiled. “Glad to hear it, and I believe I asked you
to call me Adam.”
I hoped to break ground a bit by saying that and keep things
casual with her. I didn’t know if it worked, but she didn’t step back from me.
That was something.
She let out a breath instead, smoothing her hands down the gray
sweat pants she wore. “Adam, right. Sorry about that.”
I simply smiled. “You’re forgiven. Can I help you with something
this morning?”
A familiar awkwardness in the form of silence cut through the air
again. Just like last night. I was about to push again when her mouth moved,
forming words.
“Um, yeah. Um.” She went fidgety, running her fingers up and down
the strap of her pink tank top restlessly. Realizing she was doing that, she
let go, passing off the action when she scratched at the skin just beneath her
earlobe, petite fingers continuing to be restless by brushing down to the base
of her neck. “I just wanted to thank you for yesterday. Your advice with the
baby.”
I looked up from her neck, and it took me a moment to recall what
she was referring to. Once I did, I gave her another smile. “It worked then?”
She was still fidgety, opting to rub her neck now. “Mmmhmm. She
slept through the whole night. That gave me a break.”
I was happy to hear that, but did wonder why the burden to get the
baby through her teething was left on her shoulders and why she had no one to
help. I supposed that wasn’t my business.
I nodded at what she’d said, my lips lifting with the knowledge that
I had helped. “I’m glad. Hopefully last night is the first of many quiet nights
for you.”
I genuinely meant that. I wasn’t just saying that because I should,
but I actually wanted that for her. Taking care of a baby wasn’t easy; especially
if she was doing it by herself.
I think she understood my sincerity because for the first time
since we started talking, her hand dropped from her neck and she didn’t look so
anxious. In fact, she was actually looking at me, finally in my eyes and not at
everything else about me. She chewed her lip for a moment before her gaze
wandered to my shirt pocket, the one with the candy bar poking out of it.
Hesitantly, she lifted a finger. “Is that your breakfast?”
I tapped the pocket lightly, chuckling. “I guess so. I just moved
in recently. Haven’t really been out shopping yet, and well, I’m a guy, so me
and the kitchen probably won’t be acquainted for a little while.”
She shifted on her pink flip-flops in silence. Like she was in
debate of something, but even still, I never thought that debate would be what
she said next. “Do you want to maybe come downstairs? For breakfast? Gabby told
me you were making that chocolate bar your meal,” she said, eyeing my hand on
my pocket.
Laughing, I dropped my hand. “I did say that.”
The girl really surprised me by coming to my door. Again, I didn’t
get many visitors. Not only that, but she tried to hustle me by selling candy
she clearly bought at the store. I gave her a break and contributed to the
cause. She had drive and that was good. Hopefully, she channeled it into the
good stuff like school, too.
Aubrey shrugged her tiny shoulders once. “So what do you say?
About breakfast that is?”
Aubrey’s invitation was the first sign of a welcome I had in the
last couple weeks, but I was running late this morning. I raised my wrist,
checking my watch. Maybe I had a few minutes; I could make a few minutes for
her. She’d been so hesitant of me before. I didn’t want to ruin these new signs
of trust she seemed to be giving off.
“You’re busy,” she said.
Before I had a chance to determine how much time I had, she was
already lifting her hands, stepping away. “Have a good day, Officer.”
Just like that, the guard went back up. I closed my door without
thinking, locking it right after. I caught up to her in two strides and she
stopped walking, looking up at me with those dark eyes.
“Yeah, I am busy,” I said. “What’s for breakfast?”
I guess I’d be skipping rounds today.
***
Aubrey left that same trail of feminine
scent behind her. It tagged along with every step she made downstairs. I kept
close as well, but not too close, and she often peeked back, a quick look over
her tiny shoulder, almost as if she was trying to keep me in check. I couldn’t
get too close to her and she was letting me know. That same warning about her
followed all the up to her woven, multicolored welcome mat despite the fact
that it was she herself who’d invited me down for breakfast. When we got there,
she turned her doorknob, but her hand hesitated pushing the door open. I
thought to offer her an out, let her know I was running late anyway, but she
pushed, granting me access to the same apartment I was in last night. The warm
smell of eggs and bacon before I crossed the entry rumbled my insides,
awareness that this morning’s chocolate bar just wasn’t doing the trick.
After I entered, I closed the door
behind me. Her apartment was the same, though a peek into her kitchen let me
know she’d put her groceries away. I wanted to do that for her last night, but
I had a feeling the effort would have been interpreted wrong. As more of an
intrusion than a favor from a stranger.
Sitting in a chair at a square
table, the teenager who sold me the candy this morning, Gabby, turned, waving
at me. Two dimples creased a round face, her dark skin. “Officer Holloway,” she
said in greeting, grinning while she chewed a piece of bacon.
I had to laugh. “You can call me
Adam, Gabby. I’m not on duty here.”
She looked more accepting of that
than Aubrey did, not looking at the uniform at all. “Ah, okay,” she said. “You
joining us for breakfast?”
She crossed a look over to Aubrey,
who only shook her head before going to the other person I noticed sitting at
the table. Her little girl. The baby.
“Uh, yeah. Aubrey invited me,” I
returned to Gabby, my attention a bit distracted as I watched the mom with her
child. Chubby arms reached up to her mom, which Aubrey appeased by letting them
lock around her neck as she lifted her into her arms. The baby was a bit
lighter than Aubrey, her curly hair looser, and I believed those indicated a
mixture of races. She gurgled a laugh when Aubrey picked her up, and I smiled.
The littlest things made babies happy, didn’t they? Attention and whatnot, and
the smile Aubrey returned confirmed, for me at least, that happiness was always
shared in return by the parent.
Always.
“That’s Rissa,” Gabby said, tugging
on her chubby leg and breaking my thoughts. “Short for Marissa.”
I waved at her like I did last
night, and both mother and child looked my way. More specifically, Rissa
watched me while Aubrey watched Rissa, a curiosity in both gazes. Rissa studied
me for only a moment before she released the material of her mom’s tank top and
stretched her tiny fingers out toward me. I think Aubrey and I were both
surprised by that, but I didn’t hesitate before I reached my finger out toward
her to take.
“She doesn’t really like strangers,”
Aubrey said, but she barely finished the sentence before Rissa latched onto my
finger. She giggled, shaking my finger in her small fist.
Gabby laughed, looking up at her.
“She seems to like this one.”
“I like her, too,” I said, surprised
my uniform didn’t put her off like it did her mom. I was glad.
Aubrey’s lips actually threatened to smile while Rissa played with
my finger, curling up a bit in the corner. Ultimately the expression didn’t
completely make it when Rissa decided to use my finger for her own person
teething ring, popping it into her mouth and chewing. I didn’t mind and
laughed, but Aubrey clearly did. Removing her daughter’s newly chosen toy from
her mouth, she apologized profusely, her eyes wide like I’d cuff them both at
any moment. I raised my hands, hating the look.
“It’s fine. Fine,” I said, taking a seat at the table across from
Gabby.
She didn’t accept that and said she’d put the baby in her playpen.
I watched the pair again, folding my hands and setting them on the table. The playpen
was in front of the couch and Aubrey placed Marissa there. She tickled her
belly and that gurgled laugh hit the air again. The sound was magical.
“So have you ever killed anybody?” Gabby asked, eyeing the gun
secured in my holster. She picked up her tumbler of orange juice and took a sip
casually, like she’d asked me about the weather.
Aubrey shot her head around from her location at the playpen.
“Gabby!”
Gabby lifted her hands. I think she was trying to look innocent,
but that grin she sported kind of had the adverse effect. Putting her glass to
her lips, she asked, “What?” before taking a sip, laughing into the juice.
Aubrey groaned, and I had to keep my smile in. She really was
upset. She got to her feet and charged over to us, snatching a baby wipe out of
a container on the end table by the couch along the way. Before I knew it, she
had my hand in hers. I had no idea what she was doing, but I didn’t stop her as
she rubbed it along the surface of my hand, taking extra care along my index
finger. I relaxed and just watched her.
“I’m sorry about this,” she breathed out with a huff. “Rissa’s
spit,” she paused, dropping my hand and taking the other. She rubbed there as
well with the baby wipe, sneering in Gabby’s direction. “Her.”
Her annoyance only got Gabby chuckling into her juice even more. I
kind of found the whole thing funny as well. Aubrey clearly freaking about how
the morning was going, and now, rubbing down my hand to the point of making the
skin raw like I was her own kid, but I didn’t dare laugh. That didn’t stop
Rissa, though, as even she was having a laugh. She stood up in her pen, banging
her hands on the bar as she watched her panicking mom. The whole thing went to
all new heights when Aubrey dropped my hand, slid a plate over to me, and not
only served me by putting eggs and bacon on my plate, but also picked up a
piece of toast and continued to butter it for me.
Gabby was nearly losing it at this point, her hand over her mouth,
and I couldn’t contain mine either. I snorted, and that’s when Aubrey realized
what she was doing.
She lowered the butter knife from the bread, her expression
nothing short of mortification. “You can probably do this yourself, can’t you?”
I could. But I kinda sorta wanted her to. I liked watching her do
so. I didn’t want her to be embarrassed anymore though, so I took the knife
from her. “Thanks.”
She nodded in return. Smoothing her hands down her pants, she
backed away slowly. “I’m gonna get dressed for work.” She glanced over at
Gabby. “Watch Rissa?”
Gabby lifted her glass to her, and Aubrey breezed out of the room.
All this was definitely worth missing rounds for. Definitely.
I got started in on my food as Gabby finished hers. She got
Marissa out of her pen and returned, placing her on her lap. Rissa watched me
eat, wanting my eggs by reaching out toward them. I asked Gabby if it was okay,
and she said fine, but just a little. I gave her only a little on the tip of an
extra spoon on the table. She gummed it happily.
“But seriously, have you killed someone?” Gabby wiped Rissa’s
mouth free of the extra egg with a napkin while she asked.
I shook my head in response, doing so with a laugh. I got that
question a lot. I think people thought the life of a cop was way more exciting
than it actually was. Especially the kids. Gabby looked let down by my response,
and I could only shake my head again. An exasperated “Frickin-A!” came from
behind our seats at the table. It seemed Aubrey only had time to get half
dressed. When she came out of what I assumed was her bedroom from down the hall,
she still wore her sweat pants with a dressy top. She charged down the hallway,
ripping a hair tie off her wrist and placing it in between her teeth.
“Can you walk to school today, Gabs?” she asked around the hair
tie, bunching her hair up. She pushed her curls into a ball before putting the
hair tie around it. “I have to take Rissa to my aunt’s today. She lives on the
other side of town and I won’t have time to run you by the school.”
Aubrey reached out for Rissa, and after the change off, Gabby
nodded, saying “Sure,” before slipping her book bag off the chair she sat in.
She pushed her arms into the straps. “Is everything okay? Why isn’t she going
to daycare?”
Aubrey opened her mouth, but then her gaze went to me still at the
table. I turned away, giving them privacy. I didn’t want to listen in, but the
thing about ears was they were hard to turn off. I didn’t miss when she said
her check for the week of daycare bounced, though I made it look like I had,
scraping my fork along my plate. Like I was distracted and not listening. Gabby
started to say goodbye when I chose to make my presence known again. I rubbed
my mouth with my napkin and stood.
“I can take her,” I suggested. Both girls’ eyebrows twitched up at
the proposal and I shrugged. “I pass the high school on my way to the precinct.
Not a problem at all.”
“You want to take her,” Aubrey said, eyebrows narrowed in my
direction. Rissa patted lightly at her face, but the woman’s gaze didn’t let
up. “In your squad car?”
Yeah, the thing was an eyesore. But again, something my boss
requested I drive once I moved in. I didn’t have to drive it all the time, but
I did have to have it in the area. I shrugged again. “I’d take my car, but I’m
headed into work right after.”
“I like the idea,” Gabby popped in, exchanging a glance between
the pair of us with a clear excitement in her eyes.
Fighting a smile, I pointed at her. “She likes the idea.”
With a quick goodbye, Aubrey let us go, though she did so begrudgingly,
I think. Gabby gave Rissa a kiss before she went into the hallway. I was last
and left to close the door. I raised my hand to Aubrey and Rissa still in the
hall. “Thanks for breakfast this morning. It was great.”
“Though a little crazy?” Aubrey added, her baby still patting her
face while her mom stared at me.
I chuckled. “Yeah, a little crazy. But still good.”
I didn’t say what I really wanted to. I wanted to add it was a
little perfect, too. Aubrey nodded and I got a cute little grin from Rissa just
before Aubrey turned around with her, her back to me. I heard her mutter
something as I closed the door. Something that sounded like: “Only one day with
Aunt Jen today. We’ll figure out daycare tomorrow.”
Again,
I wondered why she had no one to help her.
